Process of treating ore



0. G. COLLINS.

PROCESS OF TREATlNG ORE.

APPLlCATlON FILED JAN. 13, 1920.

1,374,484. I Patented. Apr. 12,1921.

INVENTOR C/ILE a COLL/N6 V i ATTORNEY UNITED STATES A-TE'NT, OFFlCE.

CALEB G. ooLLINs, OF-WOODMERE, NEW YORK, .ASSIGNOR To 0. AMoEv s'rEvENs, 0]? NEW YORK, N.

PROCESS OF TREATING ORE.

' Specification of Letters Patent. P te t d A r. 12, 1921.

Application filed January 13, 1926; seal No. 351,221.

To all whom/ it may concern Be it known that I, CALEB G. COLLINS, a

I citizen of the United States of America, residing at Woodmere, county of Nassau,

State of New York, have invented a new and useful Process of Treating Ore, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the separation of metal from the ore and consists in. a novel method of treating the ore, by the use of which a greater yield of metal is obtained from the ore when the ore is afterwardsubjected to the usual air or wet methods of concentration.

The object of my invention is to treat the ore in such a way as to remove the air and the moisture therefrom, and to insure that the air and moisture will not reenter the ore once freed, as a preliminary treatment to the ore before it is subjected to the concentration process. The utilization of this method of preparing the ore has the result that a heavier ore, freed of its air and moisture, is provided at the commencement of the concentration process, resulting in a better separation, due to the greater density of the ore, when subjected to the usual concentration process.

y process consists first in heating the ore to such a temperature as will cause all the air and moisture to be driven out from the ore, and this temperature is preferably between 300 and 500 Fahrenheit. While the ore is being thus heated, I prefer to agitate it so as to secure a uniform heating,

and afford every chance for the air and moisture to be driven out from every particle of the ore. When the ore has been thoroughly dried, and all the air driven out, and preferably while it is still in heated condition, I treat the ore with material to prevent the reentry of the air and moisture. This material may be any substance of very fine nature which will penetrate into the pores of the ore, such as crude oil, or even finely powdered material such aspowdered charcoal. I prefer to use a crude oil that will pass into a vapor upon coming into contact with the heated ore, as I find that this gives excellent results. After this material has been spread upon the ore, and during the spreading action, I prefer to agitate the ore continuously so as to afford an opportunity for the material to reach every particle of the ore.

'When the ore has beentreated in this manner, it may beconcentrated by any of the usual methods; and the concentration of the ore does not fall in the scope of this inventlon. Ores that are subjected to this preliminary treatment before'concentration,

however, are found on concentration to give a materially increased yield of metal; and particularly is this true in the case of ores containing chlorids and bromids.

In order that vmy process may be fully understood, 1" have illustrated in the accompanylng drawing aform of apparatus in which it may be carried out, it being understood that this is only one form of apparatus suitable for the purpose, and thatthe -processmay be performed in'other suitable de-' vices. w

Referring to this drawing, I provide a furnace 1 preferably having a slightly inclined chamber 2 covered by an arch 3, at one end of which is the combustion chamber 4: wherein fuel may be burned upon the grate 5 to produce the heat required, the combustion gases passing through the chamber 2 and escaping by a chimney 7.

Mounted in a position slightly inclined preferably to correspond with the incline of the chamber 2, is a vessel 8 preferably in the form of a tube mounted at each end eX- ternally of the furnace upon suitable means such as Wheels 9 so that it may be rotated.

Opening into the higher end of the tube 8 there may be provided means such as the funnel 10 for inserting the ore to be treated, and this ore, due to the incline of the tube 8, and its rotation upon the wheels 9, is agitated within the tube, and under the influence of gravity gradually passes from the higher to the lower end thereof, and is discharged'from the lower end into a receiving chamber 11 from which the treated ore may be removed by suitable means such as the screw 12.

In the form of apparatus shownit is proposed to use crude oil for closing up the pores of the ore to prevent the reentry of air and moisture after the heating has been accomplished, and the means for spraying the ore with the oil may comprise a pipe 13 extending inside the tube 8, and provided tinuous, the oil being fed incbythe funnel 10 and gradually passing through the tube 8 as the tube is rotated, the rotation causing agitation of the ore so as to afford an opportunity for all the moisture and air to be driven from it, while the ore is being heated and the rate of rotation of the tube 8 may be so regulated to control the passage of the ore through the tube that'the ore will be adequately heated and the moisture and air fully driven off by'the time the ore reaches the portion of the pipe 13 con- Vtaining the'holes 14 for supplying the oil to the ore. Further agitation of the ore as it passes through the remaining portion of the tube 8 causes the oil to be well distributed, and to thoroughly close up the pores of the ore so as to prevent any air or moisture getting into them. As the ore reaches the lower end of the tube 8, it is discharged into' the container- 11, whence it may be removed for the usual concentration process.

Having now described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent: 1. The method of preparing ore, which consists in heating the ore to drive off air and moisture, and treating it with material to prevent the reentry of air and moisture, and thereafter concentrating the ore.

after, concentrating the ore.

, of from 300 to 500 Fahrenheit, and treating the heated ore with material to prevent reentry of air and moisture, and thereafter concentrating the ore. I

4:. The method of preparing ore which consists in passing the ore through a heated zone, agitating the ore during passage, and V treating the heated ore with material to prevent reentry of air and, moisture, and there- 5. The method of preparing ore which consists in heating the ore to drive olf air and moisture, and spraying the heated ore with crude oil, and thereafter concentrating the ore. i j

' In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.- i

' CALEB G. COLLINS. 

